Fiat's a winner for summer fun

Honest John suggests a summer convertible that won't break the bank.

By Honest John

5:30PM BST 01 Jun 2010

That is the question

I have about £12,000 to spend on a small drop-top. I quite like the idea of a used (pre-2007) MINI Cooper, but also like the verve of the new Fiat 500. MINIs seem to be two a penny and Fiat is newish, but which would you choose?

SP, Henlow

I'd go for the Fiat 500C, but be aware that the best engine (the 1.3 Multijet) can suffer diesel particulate filter problems if used for short runs from cold. There will be an Abarth 500C next year, but I reckon it will start at £16,000 – the same as a new R57 MINI Cooper convertible, although the Abarth is a fair bit quicker.